Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Jesus said: Blessed are pure in heart, for they will see God.

I've discovered that if I want to be like God, I can't avoid other people's pain. I can't even just tolerate it - I have to engage with them in it. It take's a lot work and isn't natural for me.

Henri Nouwen wrote:

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.

In no way do I think I'm "pure in heart" - but I know that previously my heart was often closed to others. I wasn't willing - or seemingly able - to empathize and enter into another person's misery. After going through my own anguish and seeing others engage with me, I think I'm at least a bit more open. I hope I have the courage to continue on.

I had somehow convinced myself that an antiseptic, intellectual, moral faith was acceptable to God. I wanted to be strong with the weak, encourage those who mourn, and tell those in pain that better things would come - and I felt righteous in now what know to be disobedience and ignorance.

Jesus said:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

God - help me.

Blessed are the Merciful

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. The second three blessings are for when we have come into the light, when God expects us to pursue good.

The second of these is for those whose relationships are turning to good.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are those who are willing to reach out and forgive others, who aren't looking for justice, who love people beyond their behavior. Jesus said it often: if we want mercy and forgiveness, we will show mercy and forgiveness. 

Blessed was Paul, when Ananias had mercy on him and restored his sight. Ananias had misgivings about Paul because he had Christians killed - but he obeyed God anyway, went to him and healed him.

Blessed was Peter when after denying Jesus at the cross, Jesus shows him mercy, accepts him back and says "Follow me." This was the first thing Jesus said to Peter when he initially called him.

Blessed were David and Bathsheba when God was merciful to them and gave them another son, Solomon, after their first one died. 

Blessed was Jonah when God sent him to declare his mercy towards Nineveh. 

Blessed was Israel in the wilderness, when even though they abandoned God and worshiped a golden idol, God did not destroy them. He had mercy on them and kept them in the wilderness for 40 years to learn how to be his people.

Blessed was Job, when he challenged God. God did not punish him further, but was merciful and instructed him, explaining who He was.

Blessed was Noah when God promised to never wipe out all living things again. God established the rainbow as a sign of his mercy.

Blessed were Adam and Eve when God was merciful and said they could not eat from the Tree of Life and live forever disconnected from Him. He gave them a way back.

Blessed was creation on the fifth day when God filled it with the first living things - birds and fish. These were the first things that could feel effects of his kindness and mercy.

Blessed was Jesus, spending a lot of time early in his ministry healing people, being kind and merciful to them.

Finally, blessed am I when I'm merciful to others. When I pray for people, when I reach out to them in friendship, when I forgive them if they have done something wrong to me. I hope - with God's help - to always forgive, to never hold grudges or anything against anyone. I hope to see peoples needs and be kind, merciful and giving.

Blessed as all of us when we are merciful and forgive. If none of us ever did this, we would be a world of isolated, disconnected people with no friendships or love.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. The second three blessings are for when we have come into the light, when God expects us to pursue good.

The first of these is for those whose hearts are turning to good.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are those who want things to change for the better, who want right to be done, who want to do good, who are willing to change. Blessed are those who when they themselves can't do good, ask God to do good for them. Blessed are those who finally align themselves with God.

Blessed was Paul when he fasted for three days, sitting there blind, waiting for God to give him direction.

Blessed was Peter when Jesus accepted him back and asked him three times, "Do you really love me?" He made it clear to him that not only he was forgiven, but he would be feeding others who were hungry for God's kingdom.

Blessed was David, when he fasted, pleading for the life of his child. God did not allow the child to live, and David accepted it as God's judgement. 

Blessed was Jonah, when he was inside the fish and after three days finally cried out to God to save him. God listened to him and had the fish throw him up on dry land. 

Blessed was Israel, hungry in the wilderness. God listened to them and fed them manna. 

Blessed was Job, when he sat in silence with his friends, hungry to understand what was happening to him.

Blessed was Noah when that water receded and God told him that all animals were now food for him and his family, as well as plants.

Blessed were Adam and Eve when God told them that they would not longer eat of the trees of the garden, but from the plants of the field. God said it would now be difficult to obtain food - He introduced hunger.

Blessed was creation on the fourth day when God started to fill it - beginning with the sun. moon and stars.

Blessed was Jesus, when he was baptized - embracing the mission the Father had for him of saving all of us - and then fasted in the wilderness. After 40 days, he became hungry, was tempted by Satan, and stood his ground in righteousness.

Finally, blessed am I that God has put a hunger inside of me to do good. I want to become more like God.

Blessed are all of us, that God instills in us the desire do good, become better, do right. God gives us plenty of everything to live and thrive, if we work at it and use it correctly.

Beatitudes: Going from night to day - part 2

Before I go on to consider the rest of the Beatitudes, I want to write a little bit more about grace, faith and doing good.

I see two extreme positions:

• I need to do enough good things to be accepted by God, to pay my debt to him. 
• I don't need to do anything - God's grace is it, all I have to do is say "yes, I accept it".  Nothing good from me is part of the equation. 

I find both of these positions ludicrous. God has given us infinite amounts of his grace, and he requires finite responses. I can't bargain with him, as I have very little to offer - and I also can't sit there self-satisfied that I have no obligations in my relationship with him. 

The best quote I've read on this is from St. Isaac the Syrian (700 A.D.): Be a herald of God’s goodness, for God rules over you, unworthy though you are; for although your debt to Him is so great, yet He is not seen exacting payment from you, and from the small works you do, He bestows great rewards upon you.

Do I need to respond to God's goodness to me by doing good? Of course I do...

Jesus said: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Later on, Jesus elaborated on his teaching in the parable of the unmerciful servant:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

If I truly believe in God's love and forgiveness toward me, I will show love and forgiveness towards others.

I don't think by any means I have all this figured out. The point for me is to wrestle with it. I will always take the direct words of Jesus - God himself - as my main input, above anything else.

The next three Beatitudes are about doing those good things God desires.

Beatitudes: Going from night to day

I think the first three blessings Jesus gave where for the "night" - when people are chaos, in trouble, or causing trouble. I see this as the essence of grace: God comes to bless us when we don't deserve it, and maybe can't even ask for it.

I also think the next three blessings are for the day, where God expects obedience from me. He expects my heart to change, my relationships to strengthen, and my influence to be for good. I have come to life, and he requires me - it's my obligation - to live and grow. It's the only sane response.

This to me is the essence of faith - to see what God has done, how he's come to me when I was (and often am) in chaos, and act appropriately.

I see those who followed Jesus, the Apostles, trying to communicate this concept throughout the new testament...

Paul said: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In this section of Ephesians, Paul talks about being dead and coming to life.

James said: What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

If I don't work to meet my obligations to God, I have no faith - it's just a fabrication.

John said: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Jesus reached out to me, so I'm obligated to reach out to others.

Peter said: Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Titus said: But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

All of these men who started the Christian faith conveyed the same message: God's goodness came to me as a gift, now I must do good in response. God gave me new life, now that life must do something.

This rightly raises all kinds of concerns about how good does good need to be? I think some of the answers are in the rest of Jesus's sermon.

God, help me to live in the daylight.

Blessed are the meek

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. The first three blessings are for when we are in darkness. 

The third one of these is for those whose influence is in chaos.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (the land).

Blessed are those who have no power or influence for good - unable to change things, fail in the their efforts or in their work, are oppressed, have been sidelined in their churches, have no control over their circumstances, are trapped, have misused what they have been given.

Blessed was Paul the Apostle when God blinded him on the road to Damascus and told him he was using his power for evil. 

Blessed was Peter the Apostle when he was hiding with the other disciples after Jesus was killed.

Blessed was David when confronted with his misuse of power to take what was not his.

Blessed was Jonah when he was in the stomach of the giant fish, unable to escape.

Blessed was Israel when they were trapped between the Red Sea and advancing Egypt. God gave them a corridor of dry land as he parted the sea. 

Blessed was Job when he lost his health, his money, his reputation.

Blessed was Noah when he was waiting on the ark for the water to recede. 

Blessed were Adam and Eve when God cursed them, reducing their influence over the earth.

Blessed was creation when God established the dry land and set the boundaries for the water. 

Blessed was Jesus as a child, who with his parents had to flee the land of Israel for Egypt - refugees. 

Finally, blessed am I when I'm unable to do the good I want to do, unable to change my circumstances, when things don't go as I planned, when I'm humbled, when I'm trapped, when I have no power or influence. 

Blessed are all of us by the boundaries and limitations God sets on us. It's our lack of influence and power that prepares us for the good God has in store for us to do. I believe this beatitude signifies the last stage of the night where we can't see and make our way. 

Blessed are those who mourn

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. I think they contain the core of everything Jesus meant to teach that day. 

The first three blessings are for when we are in darkness. The second one of these is for those whose relationships are in chaos.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.


Blessed are those who have broken and damaged relationships - failed at friendships, had people close to them die, can't communicate. constantly fight, walk-out, split-up, been abandoned.

Blessed was Paul the Apostle when he walked away from his religious community to join one where he was branded as a murderer - likely rejected by everyone.

Blessed was Peter the Apostle when the man he put his faith in died on the cross and left him alone.

Blessed was David when he had a good man put to death so he could take his wife. 

Blessed was Jonah when he jumped into the sea, preferring death to doing what God asked,

Blessed was Israel, when the destroyer came and killed the first born, and they left Egypt.

Blessed was Job when Satan killed his family.

Blessed was Noah when almost everyone one he knew, his culture, his world, was destroyed in the flood.

Blessed were Adam and Eve when they experienced spiritual death and hid from God, not wanting to be seen by him.

Blessed was creation, when God pulled it apart, creating a void between the waters.

Blessed was Jesus as a baby, when the government wanted him dead, and killed all the babies his age in hopes one of them would be him.

Finally, blessed am I when filled with sadness and loss over losing one of my sons, when I have failed as a husband and dad, when I have not been a good friend.

Blessed are all of us - not because of the separation and loss, not because of whom we've destroyed, not because of what others have done to us - but in spite of it, in the midst of it.

God doesn't seem to stop the darkness, but rather comes to be with us in it, to experience it as well, to give us comfort. Others come to help us walk through it, and in a small way get the chance to become like God. 

The only way I make sense of it: He uses it to develop us into something much more than we could possibly be beforehand - not only for our own good, but for the good of all. I don't claim to understand this very well, and I think I'll spend the rest of my life here wrestling with it.

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Tuesdays | God is building a people – My relationships are broken

- Your kingdom come

- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

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Blessed are the poor in spirit

I see the blessings or “beatitudes” as the essence of the rest of the sermon on the mount. I think they contain the core of everything Jesus meant to teach that day.

The first three blessings are for when we are in darkness. The first one is for those whose hearts are in chaos.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.


Blessed are those who are in chaos, those who are lost, those in darkness. Those who hate, gossip, are selfish, abandon their families, lie to get ahead, abuse others, take whats not theirs, murder.

Blessed was Paul the Apostle when he was persecuting the church and having people killed.

Blessed was Peter the Apostle when he denied Jesus.

Blessed was David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and planned her husband’s murder.

Blessed was Jonah when he ran away from God.

Blessed was Israel while in slavery to Egypt.

Blessed was Job when God pointed him out to Satan as a worthy target.

Blessed was Noah, surrounded by evil.

Blessed were Adam and Eve when they failed the test and ate the fruit.

Blessed was creation, when it was formless and in chaos.

Even blessed was Jesus, born in a cave to an unwed mother. Although fully obedient, looking immoral in that culture.

Finally, blessed am I when I'm filled with doubt, being selfish, and hiding from God.

Blessed are all of us, since God pursues us while we are his enemies - when we hate him, when we want nothing to do with him. We are citizens of his kingdom only because he loves us.

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Mondays | God is great – I’m in chaos

- Our Father in heaven, your name is holy

- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God

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The First Teaching by Jesus

I have been reading and thinking about the first recorded teaching by Jesus, called "The Sermon on the Mount", for the past couple of years. I'm currently working on memorizing it, so writing my way through it seems like a good idea.

The sermon is fairly controversial. Did Jesus really mean what he said? Was it just hyperbole to capture peoples attention? Is it humanly possible to do what he said? 

Jesus covers a range of topics, but I don't see it as a simple "laundry list" of things he wanted people to consider. I see it as a cohesive structure that in a small way reveals how God thinks. That is going to be my approach to it in the coming weeks.

Here is the setting...

Jesus went throughout Galilee (Northern Israel), teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.  

Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

Jesus had created a following. He was teaching that God's "kingdom" had come to them and was healing people to prove it.

He didn't go to Jerusalem, the spiritual, cultural and economic capital. He started teaching near where scholars think he grew up and worked in construction for a number of years. The only thing it might have been was the center of was agriculture. 

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Sundays | God will set things right – I want to join him

- For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever

- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

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Doing Good

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In the book of John Jesus also said:

As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Right after he said this, he healed a man from blindness.

This thought came to me a few months ago, and I have continued to wrestle with it: Everyone who is alive - every single person - is a possible redemption story. I think if we draw breath, God is pursuing us, desiring to give us love and eternity. In a complex, difficult world it's hard for me to come to grips with this idea - but I can't let go of it.

So what does this mean?

I have an obligation to do good, all the time, whenever I can. It's what I was made for. God has given me his spirit and it needs to come out. If it doesn't, I'm "keeping my light under a bowl".

Paul wrote:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God, help me in my daily battle with selfishness. It's easy for me to see the good should do, but it's hard to do it. I want to see every person I know as valuable and worth doing good to.

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Sundays | God will set things right – I want to join him

- For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever

- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

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Salt of the Earth

In the sermon on the mount, after Jesus gave the Beatitudes (the blessings) he said:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Like a lot of things he said, this is somewhat cryptic and likely had cultural themes that might be hard to understand today.

What's the reference to salt all about? 

In the book of Leviticus, when God was teaching his people about how they were to present offerings, he said:

Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

Also in the book of Numbers, he said to the priests:

Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring. The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

So God said:

• To those who have land and possessions, flavor everything you offer to me with salt.
• For those who have no land or possessions (the priests) you will live off of what the others have offered to me - an "agreement of salt". 

I'm sure there are dozens of ways to interpret this. Here is my view (for today)...

I'm supposed to be the "salt" in some of the things God gives to people. His blessing and goodness don't just come magically from heaven - I don't think they would fulfill their purpose. I'm called to be part of the giving process. Everything comes from God, but he wants me to put "my flavor" on it.

This isn't such a crazy idea. When our kids were little, we could go with them to buy presents for each other at Christmas. Even though the money came from me, I wanted them to pick the gift out, wrap it and give it. Why? So they would be part of the process - it's obviously good for the giver and receiver.

As as Jesus said, if I loose my flavor, what's the point. My effort won't build people up, it will just cause trouble, I will get stepped on, and the process will be worthless. 

Paul said:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

God, help me to give often and give with a good heart.

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Sundays | God will set things right – I want to join him

- For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever

- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

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Secret

Jesus said:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

My confession:

I love to be seen as good, godly, and wise by others. 

I want people to notice the good I do and compliment me – and then I want to respond by “Oh no, I’m not good at all, it’s God in my life.” I’m hoping I get to have my Christian cake and eat it too. 

God just isn't enough for me a lot of the time. It’s not very motivating to do things in secret and only get silence back. I don’t really believe there is has to be a trade-off in only telling him verses telling others too.

Being a “mature Christian”, I like to justify this by telling myself I need to be an example to others. It’s my responsibility. I think I’m insightful enough to know when to set aside the words of Jesus for the sake of “discipleship”. 

I even like the idea of people reading this, thinking “only the most committed practice any sort of confession”. Lucky James wrote: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed – so maybe I can get away with it and still receive some approval from God. I’m only about half sarcastic here…

As David wrote: The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

I’m lucky there’s forgiveness if I confess.

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Mondays | God is great – I’m in chaos

- Our Father in heaven, your name is holy

- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God

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Do Not Judge

This passage is from the first major teaching of Jesus in the Bible…

The beginning is really familiar. The first sentence is often quoted – probably not in the best of circumstances:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

The second part is straightforward - I need to clean up my own act before I try to help someone clean up theirs, or I’m a hypocrite:

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

And the third part seems to not fit, and I have often wondered about it:

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

I’m 100% sure the “Do not judge”, statement has no place in me telling someone not to judge me. Just a couple of of minutes before Jesus said, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

The third part – the strange statements – ended up being the key for me to understand this. It says don’t take something really valuable and throw it away. You will lose it, and maybe you will get destroyed in the process.

So what is this valuable thing he’s referring to? Think it’s this:

I get to decide how God is going to judge me at the end of my life.

He says, “I give you this gift – you get to set the standard that determines your destiny. It’s the standard you hold in your heart, the one you really believe in, the one you use with others.”

• If I forgive, God forgives me
• If I hold a grudge, God holds a grudge against me
• If I look beyond people failings, sin, problems – he looks beyond mine
• If I turn my cheek when treated poorly – he will turn his when I treat him poorly
• If I play a game and say I forgive, but really I don’t – he will play the game with me

This scares me. It’s really hard for me to look at myself objectively regarding how I judge others. Hence the middle part – I need to clean up my act so I can see clearly.

But I’m not honest with myself! I know I will screw it up.

I believe Jesus knew that if we really thought about this, we would come to this conclusion and the associated fear. So he said this next:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

God, I’m asking you to help me have real forgiveness for everyone - to hold no overt, subtle or subconscious grudges. Not easy.
 

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Saturdays | God desires obedience – I want to be obedient

- And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

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